Interview with Cardinal Müller: “The next Pope must resist ‘wokism’ and clarify the truths of the Faith”

He welcomes us to his Roman home, as on other occasions. A sober but bright apartment in a building where several cardinals reside, not far from the Vatican.

Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, opens the door to us with his usual cordiality. He speaks to us in surprisingly fluent Spanish, enriched by years of interaction with the Spanish-speaking world and a clear communicative intention. For over half an hour, he calmly but unreservedly shares his vision of the upcoming conclave and the profile he believes the next Pope should have.

Q: What qualities do you think the next Pope should have?

A: Jesus himself defined Peter: "You are Peter, the rock upon which Jesus will always build his Church." This is the Christological definition, and there are also dogmatic definitions from the First and Second Vatican Councils. It is also necessary to consider personal attributes and personal characteristics. Grace presupposes nature: a balanced person is needed. He cannot be authoritarian, weak, incapable of governing or making decisions. He must be a man of justice, with a fraternal spirit, because the other bishops and cardinals are brothers of the Pope, not his delegates or subjects. Furthermore, he must be familiar with the current world situation and not be influenced by anti-Christian ideologies such as wokism or globalism.

Q: In your opinion, what are the issues or fronts that the next Pope must urgently address?

A: The greatest challenges are neo-atheism and this blow to anthropology. Saint Paul, in the first chapter of his Letter to the Romans, writes that when the pagans denied nature, instead of worshiping God, they worshipped creatures, animals, etc. The consequence is that human nature, created by God in His image, is also distorted. The confusion between men and women, the fundamental structure of creation, acts against others, even the abuse of children and women—all of this can be interpreted as a consequence of the loss of the existential foundation in God, who is love, truth, and justice.

Q: What things do you think the next Pope should avoid?

A: He must clarify some things, because the faithful need it. Many times they have said: “I would have criticized the Pope because he doesn't tell the truth.” I have only given theological answers to questions raised by the people of God. And the people have the right to receive these clarifications.

Q: Any specific ones?

A: Everyone is talking about these issues: Communion for divorced people living in a new union, which is not valid, must be clarified. We must also clearly reject the destructive ideologies of wokeism, because they are contrary to the anthropology revealed by God. Some think this is an expression of modernity, but it is an expression of decadence and self-destruction. Anti0natalism, enmity toward children and adolescents, the aging of European societies… this is not healthy, and everyone knows it. We need openness, a big "yes" to the future, including biological, existential, and intellectual ones. And respect for canon law. Some have said that the Pope is above the law, but that is not true. The Pope must guarantee justice, and this is achieved through positive laws. Divine law cannot be changed, but positive laws, as long as they exist, must be upheld. The right to defense cannot be violated. The Pope cannot say, "In this case, I don't accept your right." If a procedure is to be changed, it must be done before or after the trial, but not during.

Q: How should the next Pope relate to Tradition and the Magisterium?

A: The next Pope must clarify some points and recall the hermeneutics of Catholic theology. The Pope declared Irenaeus of Lyons a Doctor of the Church for his fight against the Gnostics; he has always spoken out against modern Gnosticism. This modern Gnosticism, like the ancients, does not accept that there is only one full revelation in Jesus Christ. They propose other revelations, not private ones, but contrary ones: pantheism, deism, polytheism, Mother Earth, Pachamama, and all those things. The one revelation is present in the life of the Church through Sacred Scripture, apostolic tradition, the Creed, the Liturgy, and the great decisions of the councils, from Nicaea to Vatican II. The ultimate criterion is the Magisterium, when the Pope speaks ex cathedra, or together with the Ecumenical Council. But it is not an independent authority: it is a formal authority. Because Jesus told the apostles to teach all men what He Himself had taught them. The apostles, bishops, popes, and teachers do not have a new revelation, as Vatican I and II claim. They are the custodians of the revelation present once and for all in Jesus Christ. Christ is the sole mediator and savior. It cannot be said that the Spirit reveals in every assembly truths contrary to Scripture or the Magisterium. That is not the Spirit of God, but the spirit of the world, of Hegel, of an ideology. The Holy Spirit does not exist outside of communion with the Son and the Father. The Son of the Triune God became man, suffered for us, and is the Redeemer of our sins. The Holy Spirit, only after the resurrection, universalizes and personalizes the grace of Christ.

Q: These days, some cardinals and media outlets are talking about electing a Pope who will continue the current pontificate. What would that mean for the Church?

A: Continuity is obvious, but what do you understand by continuity? Imitation? Because for some, it's convenient to continue like this, to keep their positions, etc. Cardinals must think about the good of the Church and not their own interests. The first continuity is the mission that Jesus gave to Simon as the first, Peter. Saint Paul said that the only foundation is Christ. We are masons who work one after the other, each doing what he can. We cannot imitate any Pope among the 266. The only model is Peter. Each one must act in continuity with the entire Magisterium, but not slavishly imitate his predecessor. That would be contrary to Christian anthropology. No person can imitate another as if they were a mold.

Q: What would be more desirable, a short or a long papacy? How old should the next Pope be?

A: For me, that's secondary. It could be a young cardinal, with a career ahead of him, or an older one. The cardinals will know how to decide. Saint John Paul II was also elected at 58 years old. He was a good Pope. A saint. A sudden saint, as they say.

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